Photo credit: Frazer Harrison/ Getty Images
Davina Bennett captured the hearts of people everywhere, especially natural hair lovers, with her stunning afro at this year's Miss Universe pageant. The 23-year-old model and philanthropist was the first afro-donning contestant to make it to second runner-up in the history of Miss Universe and is keeping up the momentum with a movement centered on Black women who rock their natural hair, called #AfroFriday.
Using the hashtags #AfroFriday and #FreeYourFroFriday, Bennett has encouraged other women and girls share images that showcase their natural hair and all its glory. Since starting on December 1, the hashtag has already garnered participation from all over the world. Check out some of the gorgeous ladies who have participated below:
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In an Instagram post, a little girl by the name of Zaria Amiyah thanked Bennett for being an inspiration, writing: "Dear Miss Jamaica,
Thank you for being you and reminding me how beautiful my skin is! Thank you for representing and embracing a culture and skin tone that other see as too different! Thank you for boosting my confidence as I see someone like me walk with such beauty and grace! Thank you for being a role model for a little chocolate girl like me! I used to think I wasn't pretty without long hair, but mommy showed me different and you made it even more clear. I am NOT defined by my hair or my skin tone but by how I carry myself when I walk in the room! And although I'm from Georgia not Jamaica you still represented for little girls like me! You Rock!"
Bennett responded: "My heart is sooo full as I have been receiving so many images and videos of little girls, and woman in general that are inspired by the decision I made. I see comments about what's the big deal with my hair, well the big deal is that little girls like Zaria don't get representations of themselves very often to remind them how beautiful they are because the standardized beauty of what is perceived doesn't look like them, and if it means that I have been given this role of being a representation then I am here to stand for all the beautiful people with their beautiful natural afros. "
Along with breaking beauty pageant standards, Bennett is a fierce advocate for deaf awareness as well as an ambassador for an anti-bullying platform.